I have grown fond of the Lei Lei Volcano recipe I got from the Bum's book, but now I can't find Cruzan Coconut Rum since Bevmo stopped selling the big bottles. Has anyone tried Tortuga Coconut and how does it compare to Cruzan? Malibu is out of the question and someday I will probably just start adding Coco Lopez to a light rum, but until then I am wondering if anyone has an opinion on Tortuga?

Wow, I made a few drinks using the Cruzan Coconut Rum mini bottles and was more than a little disappointed with the artificial aftertaste. The mini bottles were the only Cruzan Coconut Bevmo had butI found a full size bottle in a dirty liquor store last night and man, what a difference. I made the Lei Lei Volcano and had none of the artificial aftertaste using the rum from the full size bottle. Like night and day. A really tasty, light drink. Has anyone else had a bad experience using plastic mini bottles?

It is indeed the plastic. Liquor in plastic bottles do have a problem with picking up chemicals from the bottles. The effect is not readily noticeable if the liquid has not been in the bottle for long, but if it's something that has been sitting in a warehouse or on a shelf for a while the taste difference will be apparent. Most package liquors in plastic are consumed pretty fast and are usually of the cheaper brands like Popov, Captain Morgan or Smirnoff. Popular items that move a lot of stock fast. But 50mls can get pushed aside on the shelf or bought by the store in large quantities so that there is the chance of it going unpurchased for many months. There is less of a chance with purchasing the larger bottles in plastic but the taste issue is still common. As for Tortuga, I haven't had a chance to sample it yet.
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